Finalists Announced for H-E-B Primo Picks Quest for Texas Best Contest

Final round set for August 9-10 in Austin

(San Antonio ) —

H-E-B has scoured the Lone Star State in search of the most delectable culinary creations from talented Texans with a flair for food. After tasty deliberations, 25 finalists were selected from more than 700 entrepreneurs from nearly 140 cities and towns across the state. The finalists will go head-to-head in the fifth annual Quest for Texas Best competition August 9-10 at the Central Texas Food Bank in Austin.

“Over the past five years of this competition, we have tasted more than 2,700 of the most creative Texas-based food and beverages in pursuit of Texas’ very best, selecting 125 finalists since 2014,” said James Harris, Director, Diversity & Inclusion and Supplier Diversity, H-E-B. “Each year keeps us on our toes with innovative products, and this year is no exception. We are proud to continue a program that gives small business owners the opportunity to share their pride and joy with H-E-B shoppers across the state.”

The top 25 finalists will present their creations to a panel of expert judges, who will select four winners based on quality, marketability, and product readiness. Winners will receive a combined $70,000 in cash prizes and sought-after space on H-E-B shelves. H-E-B will award the Grand Prize winner $25,000, the coveted title of “Texas Best” Primo Pick and placement on store shelves; the first-place winner $20,000; the second-place winner $15,000; and the third-place winner $10,000. To celebrate the fifth anniversary, in addition to the $25,000, this year’s Grand Prize winner will also get the keys to a brand-new Toyota Tundra.

The 2018 Quest for Texas Best finalists are:

1885 Coffee Co.

38 Pecans

Afia Foods

Barbecue Wife

Bellefontaine

Bellville Meat Market

Bernard’s Gourmet Foods

BIG Little Fudge

Cappadona Ranch

Chef Rey Inc.

Collin Street Bakery

Deanan Gourmet Popcorn

Deep River Specialty Foods

Loving Libbie Memorial Foundation

Mad Hectic Oatmeal

Maika Foods

Mirth Soup

mmmpanadas

Nuts and Cows

Pennymade

Pretty Thai

Sing and Shout Foods

Texas Black Gold Garlic

Tiny House Coffee

Tio Pelon’s Salsita LLC

This year’s competition generated a delicious mix of brews, breads, falafel, fudge, sauces, soups, sausage and sweets. Throughout two qualifying rounds, H-E-B Business Development Managers selected submissions on taste and flavor, customer appeal, value, uniqueness, market potential, and differentiation from products already available at most H-E-B stores.

The Quest for Texas Best is a signature program for H-E-B’s Primo Picks brand, which labels best-in-store products that are all unique, delicious, and new. Since its inception in 2014, the Quest for Texas Best competition has yielded more than 432 new products on H-E-B’s grocery, bakery, deli and market shelves across the state.

Previous Winners

2014

Frio Farm (Concan) – Grand Prize winner $25,000

MaxFrut (Arlington) – First Place Winner – $20,000

Habibi Gourmet Dip-It (Mission) – Second Place Winner – $15,000

Vela Farms (Victoria) – Third Place Winner – $10,000

2015

TEO Gelato (Austin) – Grand Prize winner – $25,000

Slaton Bakery (Slaton, TX) – First Place Winner – $20,000

Blackbird Foods (Houston) – Second Place Winner – $15,000

Blackbird Bakery (Austin) – Third Place winner – $10,000

2016

The Texas Pie Company (Kyle) – Grand Prize winner – $25,000

KITCHUN (Austin) – One of two First Place Winners – $20,000

Bagel Dots (Houston) – One of two First Place Winners – $20,000

The Culinary Cowgirls (Austin) – Second Place winner – $15,000

Humble House Foods (San Antonio) – Third Place winner – $10,000

2017

Skull & Cakebones (Austin) – Grand Prize Winner- $25,000

The Texas Pecan Cake Shop (Bertram) – One of two First Place Winners –$20,000

WarPig’s F.U.B.A.R. BBQ Sauce – For Use on Butts and Ribs Sauce (Houston) – One of two First Place Winners – $20,000

H-E-B Primo Picks invites customers to enjoy products that are unique, delicious, and possibly new to their palates. As part of H-E-B’s commitment to providing local product options, H-E-B is the single largest retailer of the GO Texan program with close to 1,000 Own Brand items with the GO TEXAN watermark in stores throughout the Lone Star State.